Qatar Development Bank (QDB) recently held a training programme for the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with special focus on the country's aluminium industry.

The course was held as part of a series of Qatar-based "comprehensive industrial training programmes."

The event saw the participation of 30 Qatari SMEs at the four-day programme held recently. The training detailed the dynamics of the aluminium industry and its prospects in Qatar. It also discussed available investment opportunities and showcased local and regional achievements.

The course discussed the challenges and opportunities the industry faces and the importance of overcoming them through innovative and non-traditional business solutions.

It also reviewed aluminium industry projects and products based in Qatar and in the wider region, highlighting the importance of expanding and launching new projects as global demand increases.

The training also dwelt upon important legal issues and key environmental conditions to consider when launching an aluminium manufacturing project.

Industry experts also provided a detailed explanation for QDB's support for Qatar-based SMEs through Al Dhameen and Tasdeer programmes.

Al Dhameen is an indirect lending programme that provides guarantees with partner banks worth 85% of the value of the loan, while Tasdeer offers Qatari entrepreneurs and SMEs financing and promotion to grow exports to international markets.

Participants learned how to take advantage of the bank's advisory services such as assistance in the development of feasibility studies, market research, advice on launching competitive entrepreneurial projects in both domestic and international markets, as well as providing connections with strategic partners, such as the Qatar Business Incubation Centre.

The programme offered local advice on Qatar-based demands for industrial projects, providing information to enable entrepreneurs to launch and manage projects, comprehensive details for requirements and procedures, as well as the opportunities and risks associated with the establishment of industrial projects.

QDB chief executive Abdulaziz bin Nasser al-Khalifa said, "Thanks to the quality of Qatari products, which enjoy international confidence, our strategic location between Europe and Asia, and proximity to fast-growing markets such as North Africa, India, and China, Qatar occupies a prominent and promising place within the aluminium industry.

"Subsequently, Qatar Development Bank is committed to helping propel the sector's development and raising a new generation of SMEs through training and educational programmes in the field of aluminium and other strategic sectors," he said.

Al-Khalifa added, "By encouraging the launch of new businesses and helping to refine local entrepreneurs' work, Qatar Development Bank will help create the foundations towards the creation of competitive SMEs and new industrial clusters, which in turn will strengthen the aluminium industry and private sector overall."-Reuters